Bob Huff
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Robert S. Huff (born September 9, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who was the
California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...
minority leader and Senate Republican leader from January 5, 2012, until August 27, 2015. He represented the Senate's 29th District, which includes portions of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
, and
San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
.


Early life

Born on September 9, 1953, in
Calexico, California Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California. Situated on the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California ...
, Huff grew up on his family's farm near
El Centro El Centro ( Spanish for "The Center") is a city and county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. El Centro is the most populous city in the Imperial Valley, the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the co ...
. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from
Westmont College Westmont College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Montecito, California, United States. It was founded in 1937. History Ruth Kerr, owner and CEO of the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company, established the school as the Bible Missiona ...
, and his business background is in grain handling and commodity wholesaling.


Political career


Diamond Bar

Huff served on the
Diamond Bar Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The 2020 census listed a population of 55,072. It is one of a few cities in California with a majority Asian population (59.24% as of 2020). It is named after the ...
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
, and was Mayor of the city in 1997 and 2001. He was also involved in local transportation issues, serving on the Four Corners Transportation Policy Group, Foothill Transit, and the Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority.


State Assembly

Huff was elected to the
California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...
in 2004, defeating Gail Pacheco, the wife of
term-limited A term limit is a legal restriction on the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potential for monopoly, whe ...
Bob Pacheco. The election was considered an upset. Reelected in 2006, he was a member of the California State Assembly until 2008.


State Senate

Huff was elected to the
California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...
for the 29th district in 2008, succeeding the term-limited
Bob Margett Robert G. Margett (born May 8, 1929) is an American retired politician who was a California state senator until 2008. He represented the 29th Senate District, which includes parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties. He is a Re ...
. In 2012, he was elected by the Republican Caucus to succeed the term-limited Bob Dutton as Senate Republican Leader. After the 2012 California State Senate elections, Huff was re-elected Senate Republican Leader. Term limits prevented him from running for re-election in 2016. Huff was a member of the Senate Education Committee and authored legislation affecting K-12 education. He is an advocate of charter schools, school choice, and standardized testing. He supported SB 161, which allows trained volunteers to administer emergency medication to students with epilepsy who suffer a seizure at school. Huff introduced Senate Bill 1295, a measure to approve the placement of commercial advertisements on the exterior of school-buses. This bill was rejected by the Senate Education Committee but was given an option to be re-introduced at a later time. He introduced Senate Bill 1116 with
Leland Yee Leland Yin Yee (; born November 20, 1948) is an American former politician who served as a member of the California State Senate for District 8, which covered parts of San Francisco and the Peninsula. Prior to becoming state senator, Yee was a ...
(D-San Francisco), which defined and regulated "heritage schools", private after-school programs that teach foreign language and culture and required them to register with the
California Department of Education The California Department of Education is an agency within the government of California that oversees public education. The department oversees funding and testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement. Its s ...
instead of being licensed as child day care centers by the
California Department of Social Services The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is a California state agency for many of the programs defined as part of the social safety net in the United States, and is within the auspices of the California Health and Human Services Agenc ...
(DSS) Huff opposed a plan that would have replaced the current testing system with new tests based on the
Common Core The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, was an American, multi-state educational initiative begun in 2010 with the goal of increasing consistency across state standards, or what K–12 students throughout th ...
learning goals. Because test scores would be unavailable during the new test's two-year trial period, the
U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet, cabinet-level department of the federal government of the United States, United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, havin ...
threatened to impose financial penalties on the state. The alternative supported by Huff was to require the use of both the old and the new test during that period. The state Senate approved the bill. Huff cast a deciding vote in 2009 on a Senate rule waiver that allowed a measure on environmental exemptions favorable to one of Huff's donors, Majestic Realty. This vote led to criticism, as Majestic was also a client of his wife's consulting business. In 2011, Huff opposed Governor
Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...
’s plan to abolish California's redevelopment agencies. In a state government that as of 2012 is controlled by Democrats with super majorities in both houses, Huff has a reputation as a moderate Republican. The ''Los Angeles Times'' opined that "Senate Republican leader Bob Huff of Diamond Bar was more pragmatic, given his party's weakened political position in Sacramento. Brown 'is the most conservative of the three leading Democrats in Sacramento,' Huff said." Huff has worked with Brown on issues such as California's prison crisis.


Committee memberships

Huff served on the Senate Education Committee and was the Vice Chair of the Senate Budget Committee. He also served as a member of the Joint Committee on Senate Rules, the Select Committees of Asian Pacific Islander Affairs, California Job Creation and Retention, California's Horse Racing Industry, Earthquake and Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery and High-Speed Rail committees. Huff's sub-committee assignments included: Education: Sustainable School Facilities and Education: Policy Research.


2016 Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors elections

In 2016 Huff ran for the
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member Board of Supervisors, governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Se ...
to represent the fifth district. In the election held June 7, Huff finished in third place in a field of 8 candidates, and did not make the runoff.


2018 congressional election

In 2018 Huff ran for the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
to represent
California's 39th congressional district California's 39th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district includes parts of Riverside County, including Jurupa Valley, Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. The district has been repr ...
. In the election held June 5, Huff finished in sixth place in a field of 17 candidates, and did not make the runoff.


Positions and affiliations

On education, Huff received an 83% rating from the California State University system in 2011. He received an 11% rating in 2012 from the California School Employees Association. On business and labor issues, in 2012 he was rated 100% by the
California Chamber of Commerce The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) is a broad-based business advocacy group in California, United States, originating as the California State Board of Trade in 1890. Its membership includes large and small firms from every industry, ...
and 12% by the
California Labor Federation The California Labor Federation is a federation of labor unions in the U.S. state of California. It is an affiliate of the AFL–CIO. Founded in 1901 as the California State Federation of Labor, the CLF has grown to encompass over 1,300 unions ...
,
AFL-CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...
. He received a 100% rating from the California Pro-Life Council in 2012 and a 20% rating from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California in 2013. He received a 92% rating from the
National Rifle Association of America The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
in 2012. In addition, he has received the following ratings: In 2012, Huff raised $1,169,601 in campaign contributions. His largest donors came from the insurance, health professionals, and real estate sectors. The California Association of Realtors, the California
Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...
, the
California Medical Association The California Medical Association (CMA) is a professional organization based in California that advocates on behalf of more than 50,000 physician members in legislative, legal, regulatory, economic, and social issues. The organization was found ...
, the
California Building Industry Association The California Building Industry Association is a statewide trade association based in Sacramento representing thousands of member companies including homebuilders, trade contractors, architects, engineers, designers, suppliers and industry profe ...
, and the
California Dental Association The California Dental Association (CDA) is a nonprofit, professional organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA’s membership currently consists of 27,000 dentists in 32 local dental societies throughout th ...
were his largest contributors.


Recognition

Huff was recognized as 2011 Legislator of the Year by the
League of California Cities The League of California Cities is an association of cities within the state of California, founded in 1898. Most of the state's 482 cities are represented in the league. The League publishes ''Western City'', a monthly magazine, and holds an annu ...
for "efforts to protect local redevelopment agencies". He was also recognized by the
American Council of Engineering Companies The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the oldest and largest business association of engineering companies. It is organized as a federation of 52 state and regional councils with national headquarters in Washington, D.C., compris ...
, California, and as the 2011 Job Champion by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. The California Epilepsy Foundation named three fellowships in honor of Huff at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
,
USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...
and
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care Pediatrics, children's hospital in the East Hollywood, Los Angeles, East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, on Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Vermont Avenue ...
for his work on behalf of students with epilepsy. He was awarded the 2005 Local Distinguished Service Award in Transportation from the
American Public Transit Association The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit group of approximately 1,500 public and private sector member organizations that promotes and advocates for the interests of the public transportation industry in the United S ...
and the Outstanding Community Leader of 2005 by the
Old Baldy Council The Old Baldy Council (#043) was founded in 1917 as the Pomona Council. It changed its name in 1921 to Old Baldy. The Old Baldy name is from Mount San Antonio, often called "Old Baldy" or "Mount Baldy", the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountain ...
of the
Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
.


Personal life

Huff and his wife, Mei Mei, reside in Diamond Bar, California. As of 2013, they have four children and six grandchildren.


References


External links

*
Join California Bob Huff
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Huff, Bob 1953 births American Protestants Businesspeople in agriculture California city council members Republican Party California state senators Living people Republican Party members of the California State Assembly People from Calexico, California People from Diamond Bar, California Westmont College alumni Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections 21st-century members of the California State Legislature